Glad you ditched the anal fork, Golden Tortoise Beetle

[Viva_La_Revolution]

This pretty little molten gold beetle has been doing the rounds of the Internet lately, because not only does it look like nothing else on Earth, but it can also completely change colours. And it’s just as pretty when it does.

This is golden tortoise beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata, previously known as Metriona bicolor), a tiny, metallic North American insect that belongs to the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae, which includes flea beetles, asparagus beetles and longhorn beetles. Nicknamed ‘goldenbugs’, golden tortoise beetles grow to around 5.0 to 7.0 mm in length and favour foods such as sweet potato and morning glory.

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"Here's two of them fucking", said the Internet last week. Credit: magickcanoe.com

Oh and did I mention that golden tortoise beetles, as larvae, protect themselves by sticking old skin and faecal matter to their anal forks – otherwise known as faecal parasols – to form a shield? How did something with an anal fork get to be so pretty?

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/running-ponies/2012/07/04/glad-you-ditched-the-anal-fork-golden-tortoise-beetle/

[amerikat]

1. I find these on my morning glory.

Sometimes they look like brightly polished gold.

[zbdent]

2. Well, at least you could tell if she was faking it ...

[eppur_se_muova]

3. "metallic North American insect" -- biology fail.

All insects are carbon-based.